A by-election was held for the Seanad Éireann Dublin University constituency in Ireland in March 2022.[1] Ballot papers were issued on 25 February and polls closed at 11 a.m. on 30 March 2022.[2] The election was won by former army officer and whistleblower Tom Clonan.[3][4]
Background
editThe vacancy was caused by the election of Labour's Ivana Bacik to Dáil Éireann on 8 July 2021 at a by-election in Dublin Bay South.[5] On 10 November 2021, the Seanad passed a motion calling on the clerk of the Seanad to send notice to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of the vacancy.[6] The minister was required to make the order for a by-election within six months of this notice.[7]
Election system
editEvery citizen of Ireland who is at least 18 years old and who has received a degree (other than an honorary degree) or obtained a scholarship from Trinity College Dublin is entitled to be registered as an elector.[8] The electorate of the university is approximately 70,000.[1][9] When a casual vacancy occurs it is filled by a by-election. The procedure at a by-election is the same as that at a general election of university members.[9] Candidates must be proposed and seconded by two registered electors, with the assent of eight other electors.[10] All votes are cast by postal ballot, and are counted using the single transferable vote.
Candidates
editSeventeen candidates were nominated.[11] All nominations are non-partisan, with no provision for nomination by parties as there is in Dáil elections. These include, ordered by the date of their declaration:
- Tom Clonan, former soldier, declared on 10 July 2021[12][13]
- Hugo MacNeill, former rugby player, declared on 21 July 2021[13]
- Gisèle Scanlon, Trinity College Dublin Graduate Students' Union President, declared on 21 July 2021 [13]
- Ryan Alberto Ó Giobúin, sociology PhD researcher, declared on 21 September 2021[14]
- Ursula Quill, Bacik's former assistant and a Labour Party member[15][14]
- Ray Bassett, former diplomat, declared on 1 November 2021[16]
- Sadhbh O'Neill, academic at Dublin City University declared in November 2021[17][18]
- Eoin Barry, Labour Party member, declared in December 2021[19]
- Ade Oluborode, barrister, declared in January 2022.[20]
- Michael McDermott, PhD student at Trinity College Dublin, declared in January 2022.[21][22]
- Maureen Gaffney, psychologist, author, broadcaster, declared in February 2022
- Hazel Chu, Green Party councillor and former Lord Mayor of Dublin, declared in February 2022[23][15]
- Aubrey McCarthy, founder of the homelessness and rehabilitation charity Tiglin, declared on 10 February 2022[24]
- Patricia McKenna, former Member of the European Parliament for Dublin and former Cathaoirleach of the People's Movement, declared on 12 February 2022[25]
- Catherine Stocker, Social Democrats councillor for Dublin City, declared in February 2022[22]
Result
edit| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |||||
| Independent | Hugo MacNeill | 15.4% | 2,068 | 2,071 | 2,075 | 2,085 | 2,092 | 2,102 | 2,121 | 2,153 | 2,250 | 2,290 | 2,312 | 2,391 | 2,624 | 2,863 | ||||
| Independent | Tom Clonan | 14.5% | 1,947 | 1,952 | 1,976 | 1,990 | 2,014 | 2,040 | 2,077 | 2,137 | 2,243 | 2,332 | 2,436 | 2,637 | 2,973 | 3,359 | 4,200 | 5,358 | ||
| Independent | Maureen Gaffney | 14.0% | 1,882 | 1,884 | 1,892 | 1,913 | 1,936 | 1,972 | 1,993 | 2,066 | 2,121 | 2,190 | 2,274 | 2,438 | 2,641 | 3,083 | 3,908 | 5,198 | ||
| Green Party | Hazel Chu[a] | 13.2% | 1,766 | 1,770 | 1,785 | 1,802 | 1,823 | 1,842 | 1,858 | 1,918 | 1,955 | 2,090 | 2,272 | 2,583 | 2,743 | 3,300 | 3,683 | |||
| Labour Party | Ursula Quill[a] | 8.6% | 1,156 | 1,159 | 1,178 | 1,205 | 1,226 | 1,246 | 1,290 | 1,325 | 1,368 | 1,430 | 1,525 | 1,773 | 1,890 | |||||
| Independent | Aubrey McCarthy | 7.1% | 947 | 950 | 954 | 962 | 977 | 997 | 1,012 | 1,033 | 1,115 | 1,139 | 1,187 | 1,281 | ||||||
| Independent | Sadhbh O'Neill | 6.5% | 870 | 873 | 879 | 896 | 909 | 931 | 940 | 991 | 1,030 | 1,105 | 1,186 | |||||||
| Social Democrats | Catherine Stocker[a] | 3.9% | 521 | 521 | 530 | 541 | 548 | 563 | 576 | 600 | 608 | 657 | ||||||||
| Independent | Ade Oluborode | 3.5% | 471 | 479 | 488 | 500 | 508 | 528 | 548 | 576 | 586 | |||||||||
| Independent | Ray Bassett | 3.4% | 458 | 458 | 458 | 463 | 475 | 480 | 497 | 544 | ||||||||||
| Independent | Patricia McKenna | 3.1% | 421 | 421 | 427 | 434 | 440 | 454 | 463 | |||||||||||
| Independent | Paula Roseingrave | 1.5% | 200 | 200 | 202 | 209 | 220 | |||||||||||||
| Labour Party | Eoin Barry[a] | 1.4% | 189 | 192 | 199 | 199 | ||||||||||||||
| Independent | Ryan Alberto Ó Giobúin | 1.4% | 182 | 183 | 195 | 202 | 222 | 230 | ||||||||||||
| Independent | Gisèle Scanlon | 1.3% | 170 | 170 | 174 | |||||||||||||||
| Independent | Michael McDermott | 1.0% | 132 | 134 | ||||||||||||||||
| Independent | Abbas Ali O'Shea | 0.3% | 38 | |||||||||||||||||
| Electorate: 67,788 Valid: 13,418 Spoilt: 16 Quota: 6,710 Turnout: 13,434 (19.8%) | ||||||||||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b McGee, Harry (16 November 2021). "Seanad byelection set to cost over €500k". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Seanad Bye-Election to be held". Government of Ireland. 27 January 2022. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ McQuinn, Cormac (31 March 2022). "Tom Clonan wins Seanad byelection by 160 votes after close race". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Clonan wins Trinity College Seanad by-election". RTÉ News. 31 March 2022. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Labour's Ivana Bacik elected in Dublin Bay South after ninth count". RTÉ News. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "Vacancy in Membership of Seanad Éireann: Motion – Seanad Éireann (26th Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 13: Seanad bye-election orders (No. 30 of 1937, s. 13). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 7: Franchise (No. 30 of 1937, s. 7). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ a b "How the Seanad is Elected". Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage . 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 7: Nomination of candidates (No. 30 of 1937, s. 7). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ "Nominations for the University of Dublin Seanad Bye-Election 2022". Trinity College Dublin. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ Tom Clonan [@TomClonan] (10 July 2021). "Sincerest Congrats to @ivanabacik on her election to Dáil Éireann. Ivana will be a great TD - like @geraldnash I intend to run in Senate TCD By-Election: 'Who could fill Ivana Bacik's seat in the Seanad following her election to Dáil?' (via @thejournal_ie)" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 July 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c O'Brien, Stephen. "Rugby star Hugo MacNeill makes another try to win Seanad seat". The Times. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ a b Moreau, Emer (21 September 2021). "Two Trinity PhD Students Announces Seanad Bid". The University Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ a b O'Halloran, Marie (2 August 2021). "Hazel Chu considers running in Trinity College Seanad by election". Irish Examiner. Cork. ISSN 1393-9564. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ Maguire, Mairead (1 November 2021). "Journalist and Ex-Diplomat Ray Bassett to Contest Seanad Bye Election". The University Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ "Seanad byelection set to cost over €500k". The Irish Times. Dublin. 16 November 2021. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ O'Neill, Sadhbh. "Why am I Standing?". Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ Barrett, Joe (13 December 2021). "Laois man to contest by-election for seat in Seanad Éireann". Laois Nationalist. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Bowers, Shauna (24 January 2022). "Barrister Ade Oluborode Announces Seanad Bid For Trinity Seat in Seanad Byelection". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ^ Michael McDermott (Abolish the Seanad from within) [@GlassHalfArsed] (27 January 2022). "Who's nominating me?" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 February 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Hurley, Sandra (22 February 2022). "Well known names vie to fill Ivana Bacik's Seanad seat". Dublin. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ Hosford, Paul (4 February 2022). "Former Dublin mayor Hazel Chu to contest Seanad election". Irish Examiner. Cork. ISSN 1393-9564. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ O'Meara, Paul (11 February 2022). "Kildare businessman and charity founder launches Seanad bid". Leinster Leader. Naas. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ McKenna, Patricia [@Pmckennaa] (12 February 2022). "Dissolve The Echo Chambers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN - SEANAD BYE-ELECTION 2022" (PDF). Oireachtas. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Nominations for the University of Dublin Seanad Bye-Election 2022". Trinity College Dublin. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ "Seanad Bye-Election 2022". Trinity College Dublin. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ McQuinn, Cormac (30 March 2022). "Seanad byelection: Hugo MacNeill tops poll in first count". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.